Cover for receptacles



- Sept. 27, 1938. H. w. WHITAKER 2,131,243

COVER FOR RECEPTACLES Filed March 9, 1935 Patented Sept. 27, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 9 Claims.

My invention relates to that class of devices which are used for closing the filling opening to a receptacle, particularly for fuel tanks, and an object of my invention, among others, is the production of a closure of this type which will prevent access to the interior of the tank except by persons authorized to uncover the opening; and a further objectof the invention is to provide a device which will prevent the introduction of liquid except When the opening is uncovered for such purpose; and a still further object of the invention is the'provision of a cover which will permit the insertion of a gage or measure to determine the amount of liquid within the tank.

Forms of covers embodying my invention and in the construction and use of which the objects herein set out, as well as others-may be attained are illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Figurel is a viewin-central lengthwise section through acap embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the same with the cap removed.

Figure 3 is a view in central lengthwise section through acap-a little difi'erent in construction from that shown in Fig. 1.

Figure 4 is a similar view but showing another difierent construction.

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the structure shown "in Fig. 3. 1'

Figure 6 is a view in section through the structure shown in Fig. 4 on a plane denoted by the dotted line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Figure 7 is an isometric'perspective view of the lock case.

In the use of caps "for the filling openings of containers prior to my invention it has been a quite common occurrence that the contents of the tank may be surreptitiously removed particularly from tanks containing fuel for explosive engines in -boats,-automobiles and other vehicles. Another objection to-caps for filling openings in use at the present time, particularly in the case of fuel filling stations, :is the practice of introducing fuel of adifierent or inferior quality from that supposed to be contained within the tanks so that the purchaser is not sure of obtaining the fuel which he desires.

It is the purpose of my invention to provide means whereby these objections shall be removed, such a device being illustrated in the drawing herein in which the numeral 6 denotes a fill box such as is used at the filling opening of a storage tank commonly employed in filling stations. This box has a fiange 1 at its outer end and lugs 8 all of which are usually embedded in a flooring 9 of concrete or similar material.

-A supporting ring 10 has a flange H fitting within a recess at the mouth of the fill box 6, said ring being threaded to fit a threaded hole [2 in Alocking ring 16 is threaded into the partially.

threaded .hole through the box 6, this ring being an expanding ring, preferably split on one side and :having-a threaded hole for-the reception of a locking screw 1 l tapered to fit a tapered threaded opening through the split portion of the ring. The screw being turned tightly into place the ring is locked securely against. movement. A lock case 18 has a flange by means of which the case is seated on the lip-I3 of the ring Ill. This case contains the cylinder IQ of -a lock preferably of the pin tumbler type, thebarrel. -20of the lock having alatch 21 secured thereto, said latch, as thebarrel is turned, locking underneath the ring The parts of the structure are, when the latch is in engagement with the ring, all secured together, the lock case holding the ring ID in place the deck plate of a boat. The ring I6 is of sim.-

ilar construction to that hereinbefore described, being screw threaded into the shell and held therein in a similar manner,,that is,.by an expanding screw which, however, projects across a slot extending into thev ring from its side, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing. The case 22 is also provided with the cylinder IQ of alpin tumbler lock and with the latch 2| which latches under the ring to .hold the parts in place.

In the device shownin Fig. 4 a shell 24 is provided having a screw threaded opening tore- -ceive a screw threadedsupport "2 6 fora lock case 21. The support 26 has a bottom 28- through which a screw 29 projects into thelock case to hold the latter in place, the screw so engaging the lock case that the latter may be freely turned within the support.

A cylinder containing a barrel preferably of the pin tumbler type is located in the case and is connected in any ordinary manner with a locking bolt 31 mounted for reciprocating movement in the bottom of the case, the end of the bolt being engageable with a locking notch 32 formed on the inner wall of the support 26, and preferably in a shoulder 33 upon which the lock case 2? is seated.

In this device when the barrel 3! within the cylinder has been operated to Withdraw the bolt 3! from the notch 32 the case 21 may be rotated freely within the support 26 and the latter cannot therefore be removed. When it is desired to open the hole 34 through the case this may be done by means of a key inserted in the key barrel in the cylinder 30 which will operate the bolt 3! to engage the notch 32. This locks the case 2'! to the support 26 and then by means of the .cover 25 the case and the support may be turned to remove them by unscrewing them from the hole 34. I

"The cover 35 has two ears 36 near opposite edges located in recesses in the lock case 21, the pivots for the cover being located substantially on or close to a diametrical line across the case so that said cover may be effectually used as a thumb piece for unscrewing the support 26.

In the particular structure shown in Fig. 4 the bolt 3! is connected with the barrel 3! by means or a link 38 pivotally eccentrically attached to the barrel and having a pin and slot connection with the bolt as shown in Fig. 6 of the drawing to permit movement of the bolt independently of the link. Springs 39 located in recesses in the 'bolt exert pressure against the end of the link.

, With this construction when the barrel 3! is operated to thrust the bolt toward the wall of the support 26 for engagement with the recess 32 therein should the bolt not be located opposite said recess it will strike the inner surface of the support. The barrel 31 may, however, be fully turned to the position. shown in Fig. 6, the springs 39 permitting thisgand as soon as the bolt is moved opposite the recess 32 it will snap into the recess and lock the parts together.

The shells 2324 may be provided with lugs 49 to engage within recesses of the same shape in the base or the support to which said shells are attached andto which they may be secured as by means of screws through the holes 4|, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawing. This will prevent removal of the shells from said support "as by removal of the screws from the holes 4| for the reason that the shells cannot be turned to unscrew them from the filling pipes 42 as the lugs prevent such turning and the shells cannot be lifted to remove the lugs from their recesses, as said shells are held by the pipes 42.

While the structure of Figure 1 is shown to substantially the same scale; as the devices of the other figures it will be understood that the device of Fig. 1, owing to its character and manner of .;.use. will be much larger than the devices of .the other. figures.- Animportant feature of the ing opening I contemplate that any opening small enough to constitute what I term a nonfilling opening may be employed irrespective of its shape.

I claim:

1. A cover for the filling opening of a receptacle, said cover comprising a shell, a supporting member separately formed from and removably attached to said shell, a lock case loosely supported by and seated on said supporting member, and a locking member positioned and movable below the bottom of said case for engaging and disengaging action with a cooperating member located on one of said other members to prevent removal of said case and to permit its removal, said'case being completely rotatable independently of said supporting member.

'2. A cover for the filling opening of a receptacle, said cover comprising a shell, a fastening member separately formed from and removably secured to said shell, a lock case to close an opening through said fastening member, and a lock mounted in said case and comprising a latch positioned and movable below said case and said fastening member and engageable with the latter to secure the lock case in place, said latch being completely revoluble independently of said shell.

3. A cover for the filling opening of a receptacle, said 'cover comprising a shell, a fastening member screwthreadedly engaged with said shell, means for expanding said member to secure it to said shell, a lock case to close an opening through said fastening member, and a lock comprising a latch engageable with said fastening member to secure the lock case in place.

4. A cover for the filling opening of a receptacle, said cover comprising a shell, a supporting member attached to the shell and having a flange seated on a shoulder in a recess in said shell, a

fastening member secured to the shell, a lock case carried by said supporting member, and a lock comprising a latch engageable with said fastening member to secure the lock case in place.

5. A cover for the filling opening of a receptacle, said cover comprising a shell, a supporting member screw-threadedly engaged with said shell by means of a flange seated on a shoulder in a recess in said shell and having a supporting lip,

a fastening member screw-threadedly engaged with said shell, means for securing said fastening member in place, and a lock case seated on said lip and having a lock including a latch engageable with said fastening member to secure the lock case in place.

6. A cover for the filling opening of a receptacle, said cover comprising a shell, a supporting member screw-threadedly engaged with said shell, a fastening member comprising a split ring screw-'threadedly engaged with said shell, means for expanding the ring to secure it to said shell, and a lock case seated on said supporting member and including a latch engageable with said fastening member to secure the lock case in place.

7. A cover for the filling opening of a receptacle, said cover comprising a shell, a fastening member screw-threadedly engaged with said shell, means for securing said fastening member in place, a supporting member screw-threadedly engaged with said shell and abutting said fastening member, a lock case seated on said supporting member, and a lock including a latch engageable with the underside of said fastening member to secure the lock case in place.

8. A cover for the filling opening of a receptacle, said cover comprising a shell, a supporting member attached to said shell, a lock case attachable to said supporting member, locking mechanism borne by said case, and a cover to enclose said mechanism,-said cover extending across the 5 case on substantially a diametric line to serve as a finger piece for rotation of the lock case.

HERBERT W. WHITAKER. 

